Imposing Level 5 restrictions was a tough decision, but it has proven to be the correct one, the Minister for Housing has said.
Speaking on RTÉ's The Week in Politics, Darragh O'Brien said we are now making the decision to open up parts of society when our counterparts in Europe are closing down again.
Mr O'Brien said there is a difference between the first and second waves of coronavirus and "thankfully" our mortality rates are down about 90%.
Mr O'Brien said they want people to be able to have a "meaningful Christmas" and for businesses to be able to trade, but people do so "in a responsible way". "Look at the way people have responded to what we've been asking them to do since March this year", he said. "We're going to trust our people